Introduction

Contemporary Burma has been considered terra incognita by many scholars, journalists, and development specialists. Burma is a nation with a contemporary history of xenophobia, yet it is also a country that has recently opened its doors to foreign development assistance. Because of its past self-imposed isolation and its improbable blend of contrasting ideologies and actions, Burma remains one of the last exotic nations in Asia. In 1948, on the eve of Burmese independence, it was not unrealistic for observers to be optimistic about the future of Burma's development. Burma is not a small nation, but it has remained outside the mainstream of great power struggles. On independence Burma opted for a socialist path to development because of foreign exploitation and because of the economic thinking espoused in Europe, where many of Burma's elite were educated. Upper Burma is generally considered to comprise the floodplain created by the confluence of the Chindwin and Irrawaddy rivers.